Ghana’s Nuclear Power Plant will soon provide safe, clean, and affordable energy to support Ghana’s quest to join the world in phasing out fossil fueled vehicles if the roadmap is strictly followed.
Dr Stephen Yamoah, Executive Director of Nuclear Power Ghana (NPG), who made this known in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, said the plant would be on-stream to offset the extra demand that electric vehicles might require from the grid as a result of the switch.
He said any delays from stakeholders might affect the completion of the project and urged the public to support NPG to succeed.
Dr Yamoah explained that it was important to work together to meet the milestones because the country did not manufacture vehicles and once the auto companies in the West stopped producing fossil fuel, “ it would affect us”.
“We do not have the luxury as a country to say that we cannot switch. As a country, it is important to plan ahead of time and coincidentally per our plan, the nuclear plant will come on stream by 2030, the same time. As a technical team we are ready,” he noted.
“The issue here is that the country needs reliable electricity, and nuclear is clean and can provide a solid base of energy,” he said.
He stated that assessment done indicated that the current source of power including hydro and renewable options cannot support sustainable energy.
Commenting on work progress towards Ghana’s Nuclear Power Programme, Dr Yamoah, said phase one which included pre-feasibility study, assessment of infrastructure, financing, technology to be deployed, safety, security, and siting had been completed.
He said currently, the Programme was in its second phase, which entailed engaging with vendors, further site assessment, issues of contracting, recruitment and training of staff, more feasibility study, and signing of a contract.
“So far a couple of vendors have expressed interests so we have issued a request for information, seek technical and financial information. We will evaluate their responses and make a recommendation to the government for a decision to be made,” he said.
Dr Yamoah said four candidate sites had been selected and that more studies were being carried out to choose the best one for the construction of the first Nuclear Power Plant in Ghana.
The final phase, he stated, would be the commission and operation of the nuclear power plant that included all the activities necessary to contract, license and construction.
He also said the completion of the nuclear project aside from giving Ghana a stable power for vehicles and industries would make the country fulfill its obligation under the Paris Agreement of cutting down carbon emissions and making the world habitable.
“Scientists at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change, last week warned that the global warming of two degrees would be exceeded during the 21st century.
“Unless rapid and deep reductions in Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions occurred in the coming decades, achieving the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement will be beyond reach,” he said.
The assessment is based on improved data on historical warming, as well as progress in scientific understanding of the response of the climate system to human-caused emissions.
Madam Valérie Masson-Delmotte, IPCC Working Group one Co-Chair, said it had been clear for decades that the earth’s climate is changing, and the role of human influence on the climate system is undisputed, yet the new report also reflects major advances in the science of attribution – understanding the role of climate change in intensifying specific weather and climate events.
